Celebrating Holiday Traditions with the AmazingCo Team
Meet our AmazingCo team—a bunch of holiday enthusiasts from all corners of the world! From England to the Philippines, America to Sweden, we've got traditions that'll give you all the warm fuzzies. Check out our unique stories below and gain a peek into the global holiday fun!
The team’s also joining the great WonderPoll debate: Are they digging out the plastic tree from the loft, or keeping it real this year? Let’s find out.
Alexis A. is an Experience Coordinator. She grew up in Austin, Texas, USA, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California USA.
“I have a large extended family and around the holidays is one of the only times we get to all be together. A tradition that we still have to this day is hosting a family talent show! While many of the “talents” definitely would not cut it for America’s Got Talent, everyone brings their A-game to come up with something funny or touching like a skit or a song they made up about the family. We’ve even had people do ribbon dancing and blowing on bottles filled with water to make music. I’m not sure where this tradition came from but to me it encapsulates what the holidays are all about - spending quality time with the people you love, even if you’re making a fool of yourself while doing it!”
Alexis celebrates Christmas but her partner celebrates Hanukkah. Since they will be celebrating both in their home, they plan on getting a mini but real Christmas tree this year!
Nishan B. is the UK Delivery Team Lead. She grew up in The Cotswolds in England and currently lives in London, England.
“As a child, we had a Christmas tradition every year after we'd decorated the Christmas tree where my sister, brother, and I would watch a film called 'The Box of Delights'. It was a Christmas story about children who found a magic box that could make them go small, or fly. It was magical and I remember wanting to be one of the children in the film. Some men changed into wolves, ice-skating mice under the floorboards, a car that flew, and a big old house where you could walk into paintings and escape. I showed my own children and they were so scared I had to turn it off!”
Nishan has put a lot of thought into deciding whether or not to purchase a real tree like she and her family usually do. After weighing the pros and cons of a real tree, they have decided to go with a huge very real-looking fake tree for their home. She plans on keeping it for at least 10 years so it doesn't impact the carbon footprint!
Courtney M. is a Sales Lead. She grew up in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in Australia and currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.
“Christmas is my favorite time of year and living were I did growing up we had some pretty epic traditions. We start the morning with my entire family and head down for a swim at the beach. Then, we head back home and get ready and dressed in our matching Christmas theme outfits. We give out presents and secret Santa and then a morning of games and drinking starts while we all take turns helping in the kitchen to cook lunch. We tend to have a full menu for lunch that we write and plan months before and always try and one-up from the year before. After lunch we have our yearly backyard cricket match, followed by more games and dancing which normally take us all the way into the wee hours of the morning. Boxing day is normally spent with a BBQ at the beach and more surfing and swimming, followed by a Boxing day party that night with neighbors and friends.”
Courtney M doesn’t decorate a traditional tree. Instead, she gets dead dry wood from the backyard - big pieces the size of a Christmas tree- and then paints it white, covers it in Christmas decorations, and hangs it from the roof outside.
Tanner R. is an Experience Coordinator. He grew up in Redlands, California USA and currently lives in San Diego, California USA.
“As a child, my dad would always read the book Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore right before bedtime on Christmas Eve. My sister and I would follow along and loved to see the pictures and hear the funny voices that my dad would do for all parts of the story. Even though we had heard the story every single year and knew it by heart, we would still get excited to hear it again. We still carry this tradition on for my little sister now and always go back to his house to hear the story!”
This year, to avoid the mess of pine needles, Tanner will be hanging ornaments on a fake Christmas tree!
Mia D. is our Global Launch Manager. She was born in Provence (South of France) and currently lives in Vancouver, Canada.
“Something to share from where I grew up is 'Les 13 Desserts' (The 13 Desserts). They consist of a tray we'd fill up with 13 types of 'desserts', including chocolates, nuts, fresh and dried fruit, marzipan, nougat... Admittedly as kids, the main draw for my sisters and I was to count and recount to make sure we had the right mix and variety of treats - eating some as we went and refilling throughout the evening. The tradition presumably comes from a catholic reference (Jesus + his twelve apostles) though our family wasn't religious so the focus was mainly on ensuring the platter was as tasty as possible. I have fond memories of us all sitting by the crackling fire and opening presents while slowly but surely getting through the 13 Desserts.”
With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Mia likes to keep things easy where she can. She will decorate her home with a fake tree this year!
Annie D. is our Chief of Staff. She grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand and currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.
“My favourite holiday tradition is playing Christmas music and making hundreds of truffles with my mum and sisters sometime in the week leading up to Christmas day. There's a base recipe of everything delicious like condensed milk, biscuit crumbs, and Kahlua, which we then roll in coconut and store in the fridge or freezer. We experiment with adding different things like nuts and mini marshmallows in the centre, and have a stash of treats to snack on throughout the holiday period. We also package them up as a sweet treat to gift to anyone we visit over the holiday season. It's something that I now do with my family and always brings me a lot of joy.”
Every year Annie takes her family to a Christmas tree farm where they pick out their favourite tree to take home. Her toddler, Ollie, absolutely loves it-and Annie loves the smell of a real tree!
Jules I. is our Brisbane Experience Launcher and Southern Hemisphere Team Lead. She grew up in the UK and currently lives in Brisbane, Australia.
“Christmas evokes real nostalgia for me. As a child, I was fortunate that our house was always filled with laughter, Christmas music, and the smell of baking at Christmas time. There is a reason I still love the smell of tinsel and mince pies, because both have the ability to take me back to those magical childhood feelings. One of my favourite traditions that started when I was very young was to bake mince pies with my mum, from her family recipe. She would always trust me to help make the buttery sweet pastry, that needed the lightest touch. We would fill the chest freezer with bags of them, and there was still never enough. Once the first batch was freshly baked, we would always sit and enjoy one each with a big dollop of cream whilst watching 'The Snowman', before leaving one on Santa's plate. This is a tradition, even 22 years after her death, that continues to live on.”
Jules says that it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without a real tree set up and decorated in her home!
Angelo F. is a Sales and Events Coordinator. He lives in Manila, Philippines.
“Christmas is huge in the Philippines and has always been the majority of Filipinos’ favourite holiday! We even decorate our houses with Christmas decorations as early as September, that’s how excited we are! We have this tradition called Simbang Gabi, also called Misa de Gallo, where we attend mass for 9 days starting from the 16th of December until Christmas Eve. Most people believe that if you complete the nine-mass series, your Christmas wish will be granted! My favourite Christmas tradition is Noche Buena. It’s a celebration that Filipino families have on Christmas Eve. We always have a large family gathering with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. We play a lot of games and indulge ourselves with food that each family brought. We wait for midnight like it’s the New Year and when the clock strikes twelve, that’s when we exchange gifts with each other!”
As is custom in the Philippines, Angelo is putting up a fake Christmas tree this year.
Norma B. is a Sales and Events Coordinator. She grew up in Nueva Ecija, Philippines and now lives in Manila, Philippines.
“Allow me to transport you to the enchanting world of Christmas in the Philippines—a season unlike any other, brimming with festivities, traditions, and, above all, the warmth of family and friends. The Philippines proudly boasts one of the lengthiest Christmas seasons, kicking off as early as September when the familiar strains of Jose Mari Chan's "Christmas In Our Hearts" fill the airwaves, setting the perfect festive tone. This iconic song beautifully encapsulates the true spirit of Filipino Christmas. In our own family, the joy of Christmas Eve extends beyond the feast and gifts. As Catholics, we've embraced the tradition of completing the 9-day Misa De Galo (Midnight Mass) before Christmas. Also hanging Christmas stockings on our doors or windows adds an extra layer of excitement as we eagerly discover the surprises tucked inside on Christmas day. The magic of Filipino Christmas is truly a celebration of love, togetherness, and the joy of giving.”
Norma lives in a big city, so real trees are hard to come by. Instead, she’ll be adorning her home with a beautiful fake Christmas tree!
We’re sure your family's got some awesome holiday traditions. Hopefully, our stories sparked some inspo to keep those vibes alive or maybe even try out a fresh way to celebrate!